Thursday, July 19, 2012

Landscape challenge part 2

As promised I am about to show the back and sides of the property of this landscaping challenge and what it looked like before and after.

This is the front side and since yellow is the favorite colour of the client, I fell in love with these yellow threads (alternathera). I used them as a border to the front of the bed and inserted some ground orchids yellow and purple I then added some blue salvia and thunbergia erecta in the back ground. I planted some fish tail ferns at the side of the front entry to the house.

The planter at the front entrance contained the air conditioning unit that I wanted to disguise some what and still make it accessible. Fish tail ferns border the side entry and rice ferns edge the planter front. A foxtail palm was centrally placed to add some height while oxblood heliconias and walking irises frame both sides of the AC unit. Shrimp plants and some acalypha firestorm fill the area around the palm tree. The lower planter contains bignonia rosea.

The front entry has some green and yellow alternathera as a border with star jasmine and spiny dracena in the background. The alternathera border extends downwards meeting the walkway border of yellow and white lantana.

The back of the property was very challenging, it was very windy and very hot with absolutely no shade at all. Two kidney shaped beds were planted with palm trees and giant roheos.

Pittorsporums were planted on the perimeter as a privacy fence.

Golden crinums were planted along the back patio walls with some yellow and green pseudoranthemums, pink tip cordylines tied in with the wooden finishes in the patio.

Here yellow threads fill the front of the bed of the golden crinums, pink tip cordylines and oxblood heliconias make up the background. The planter at the contains alocasias while a garlic vine snakes up the side of the pergola.

The wind and the sun were brutal in the first few weeks when this garden was installed. Frequent daily watering was essential to get the plants acclimatized and when the rains came they shot up as if they were on steroids.

The client's favorite colour was yellow and as you can see much of it is repeated around the garden.

A paver patio area was installed for a Gazebo or pergola that will be added at a later date.

Kidney shaped islands planted with palm trees and giant roheos break up the large expanse of grass, while a lime and mango tree were installed nearby.

Yes it was challenging and rewarding creating this garden space, working around water and drain pipes poorly installed near the surface proved very difficult and dictated the types of plants I had to use that would pose little or no danger to them. I will be tweaking some areas from time to time and I will keep updating you as the garden matures. Have a great weekend my friends.

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a rustic country garden located in the north of Barbados featuring water lilies, orchids, blooming tropicals, fruits and recipes

Welcome to my garden!I hope that you find my blog informative and enjoyable. Please feel free to leave your comments and advice. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me and if you are in or visiting Barbados an open invitation awaits you. Just send me a message.

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About Me

a self opinionated individual who speaks her mind on things that are important to her. I am Helen and I live in the north of Barbados in an old house that dates back to the early 1800's or more. I have been frantically gardening on 2.3 acres since 1996. I am married to a sweet guy called Chuck and we are the proud parents of a daughter, seven dogs and two lovebirds. My hubby is a retired teacher from Miami Florida and a wonderful human being. I was born on the island of Grenada and lived and attended Primary school in Trinidad and Tobago and later moved to Barbados in 1967 where I spent my adult years. I love to cook for company and adore a fusion of various cuisines. I speak some french with some degree of fluency having studied Pattern making in Paris many many moons ago. I work as a part time water garden consultant and my husband and I grow water lilies.